Nearly $5 million for hosting renewable energy projects

Nearly $5 million for hosting renewable energy projects will fund community projects in seven cities and townships

Third round of EGLE Renewables Ready Communities Awards will support building enough utility-scale solar and battery storage to power more than 975,000 Michigan households

LANSING, Michigan — Today, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced the third round of Renewables Ready Communities Awards (RRCA). This round will support deployment of more than 978.5 megawatts (MW) of solar power and battery storage – enough clean energy to power more than 975,000 Michigan households and businesses.

“By providing resources to help local governments make critical investments in areas like roads and public safety, Michigan’s Renewables Ready Communities Awards are making a real difference in communities across the state,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos. “This round of awards will support the build-out of more clean, affordable power to hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents. We are committed to providing resources that improve our communities; lower energy costs; reduce emissions; and protect our precious land, air, and water resources – and this program does just that.”

The RRCA awards program provides flexible funding to local units of government to help fund community improvements and additional services for their residents. Examples include local road and bridge repairs; public safety systems; park and playground enhancements; accessibility accommodations; and upgrades to grounds, energy for public buildings, and streetlights.

The program aims to accelerate the build-out of large-scale renewable energy projects such as wind, solar, and storage by providing these incentives for communities that permit and host the projects. RRCA grants are provided in addition to the tax revenue and community benefits already received by host communities.

The new third-round awards total $4,892,950 and support seven local units of government for the following projects:

• $1.25 million to Moorland Township in Muskegon County for the Muskegon Solar Energy Center project.
• $1.1 million to the City of Trenton for the Trenton Channel Energy Center project.
• $1 million to the City of Ecorse for the Redstart Energy Storage project.
• $600,000 to Fremont Township in Saginaw County for the Eagle Creek Solar Park project.
• $429,050 to Augusta Charter Township and $303,900 to York Township, both in Washtenaw County, for the White Tail Solar project.
• $210,000 to Coldwater Township in Branch County for the Cold Creek Solar project.

The program’s first round was announced in October and the second round in December.

Including the new round, awards through the program total $12.43 million – over one-third of its $30 million budget allocation – to 23 counties, cities, and townships across the state’s two peninsulas that are hosting enough solar and battery storage to power nearly 2.5 million households.

Coldwater Township received two previous awards through the RRCA.

“These awards will significantly enhance our financial bottom line,” said Township Supervisor Donald E. Rogers. He said the township is considering investing in office expansion to benefit residents conducting business there, road improvements that have been on hold for lack of funds, and accessible park playground equipment.

Trenton Mayor Steven Rzeppa said the program provides the city opportunities it wouldn’t otherwise have.

“This award from EGLE will make a tremendous difference in Trenton as we look to improve our West Road streetscape and enhance placemaking opportunities in our downtown,” he said.

Deploying renewable energy at scale is essential to averting the worst impacts of climate change by meeting the state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan goals. The RRCA is a key tool to meeting the 60% renewable energy, 100% clean energy, and 2,500 MW storage standards set under the state’s landmark 2023 clean energy laws. Clean energy resources like those supported with this program are helping Michigan achieve a diverse, affordable, and sustainable energy portfolio.

Ongoing funding opportunity

There is no deadline to apply for this funding opportunity. Grants from RRCA will remain available until funds are depleted.

For more information on the RRCA, including eligibility requirements, funding amounts, and awardee obligations, visit EGLE’s Renewables Ready Communities Award website.

In 2024, EGLE was awarded $129.1 million from the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program to:

• Scale up the RRCA program.
• Launch a pilot project to build renewable energy projects on brownfields.
• Strengthen EGLE’s Renewable Energy Academy that provides technical assistance for local and tribal governments to improve planning, siting, and permitting processes for renewable energy facilities.
• Support clean energy-related workforce development programs.
• Develop a comprehensive strategy to meet the state’s renewable energy goals.